Volkswagen ID Life previews brand’s new £17k entry-level EV
Volkswagen has revealed the first hints of what its entry-level model electric car will look like.
The Volkswagen ID Life is a compact crossover concept that previews what we can expect from the ID.2 when it goes on sale in 2025.
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Hide AdVolkswagen says the small car will help improve accessibility to EVs, especially for younger buyers, and it is targeting a starting price of €20,000 (around £17,000).
Built on a shortened version of the VW Group’s MEB electric platform, the ID Life is a compact five-door with chunky styling but what Volkswagen says is a pared down design with minimal decorative add-ons or different materials.
The concept’s interior is a similarly stripped-down affair, with a smartphone dock and head-up display in place of any built-in infotainment screen and most of the controls, including gear selection, built into the open-topped hexagonal steering wheel.
Materials are in keeping with Volkswagen’s stated aim of making its cars more sustainable and environmentally friendly. The fabric roof is made from recycled plastic bottles and wood and recycled fabric are used in the interior while wood chips are used to colour the exterior clear coat along with a non-chemical-based hardener. Even the tyres are greener, using natural rubber, bio-oil and rice husks in their construction.
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Hide AdUnlike larger models in the ID family, the ID Life is front-wheel-drive. The concept model uses a 231bhp motor powered by a 57kWh battery. Volkswagen says this should get the car from 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds and give it a range of 249 miles.
Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of Volkswagen, said: “In creating the ID Life, we have consistently focused on the needs of younger customers. We believe that, even more so than today, the car of the future will be about lifestyle and personal expression. The customer of tomorrow won’t simply want to get from A to B; they will be much more interested in the experiences that a car can offer. The ID. LIFE is our answer to this.”
Since the ID Life is a concept car Volkswagen has packed it with features that may or may not see the light of day. While the fold-down front and rear benches that can be converted into a bed might make it to production, the pop-out projector and on-board games console are less likely to be seen on the finished model, as is the weirdly-shaped steering wheel.
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